JPS62253493A - Printing blanket structure and manufacture and device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1.1 The present invention is directed to an improved printing blanket structure and an improved method and apparatus for making the printing blanket structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Printing blanket structures having an outer layer formed primarily of polymeric material and an outer printing surface for conveying liquid ink or the like for printing or similar purposes are known. For example, US Pat. No. 1,778,185 to DeVries;
) et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,186; Rhodarmer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3.79
No. 5.568 U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,045 to 3trunk et al.: Pinkston (P 1
U.S. Patent No. 4,015,04 by K. K.
6 etc.

The outer printing surface structure of prior art printing blanket structures is controlled by their abrasive pattern or by the combination of a hardened liner, such as paper, with a dusting agent, usually talc. The cured liner or talc described above is placed against the uncured surface and then removed after the outer layer means has been cured. For example, this application is illustrated in FIG.

Rumor has it that starch would be an effective release agent to remove the cured liner from the cured outer layer means. Applicants have discovered, however, that starch cannot be removed from the outer surface of the cured blanket structure by conventional cleaning. Therefore, the printed surface without starch removal is
It showed poor printing properties.

Embossed structures, ie, formed by a plurality of protrusions against the printed surface of a blanket structure, are also known to improve ink transport and/or paper release characteristics. For example, German Patent No. 2,660,483, EPI publication May 1983, pages 18-20 corresponds to this.

1 AND SUMMER 11 One of the features of the present invention is to provide a printing blanket structure with improved ink transport and/or paper release characteristics.

In particular, according to the teachings of the present invention, the outer printing surface means of the outer layer means of the printing blanket structure has a plurality of discrete ink well means, the ink wells having a generally uniform pattern over substantially the entire printed area. and a substantial number of well means each having an aperture in the outer printed surface, the aperture having an effective linear length across the largest portion of the aperture from about 3μ to approximately 65μ, and thus this printing blanket structure provides improved ink transport and/or paper release characteristics as described above.

For example, one embodiment according to the invention provides a printing blanket structure having an outer layer means formed primarily of polymeric material and an outer printing surface means for conveying liquid printing ink and the like for printing or similar purposes. wherein said outer printing surface means has a number of separate ink well means blocking said outer printing surface in a closely spaced manner in a substantially uniform pattern over substantially the entire printing area. and a substantial number of said well means each having an aperture in said outer printing surface means, said aperture having a substantially linear length of about 3 microns to about 65 microns across the largest aperture.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved printing blanket construction having several novel features according to the present invention, such as those set out above or in the description above.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of manufacturing printing blanket structures, the method of the present invention having several novel features such as those set forth or inscribed above.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for manufacturing printing blankets, which apparatus has several novel features as previously described or simulated.

Other objects, uses and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reference to the foregoing description and accompanying drawings.

L1 AND C1 Although various features of the present invention are specifically illustrated and described below as providing a printing blanket structure adapted for printing with liquid ink means, key features of the present invention It turns out to be a printing blanket structure that can be converted into any desired material either by itself or in combination with others.

The invention is therefore not limited to the specific examples illustrated in the drawings, but the attached drawings only represent one of the broader applications of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the printing blanket structure, taken along the line 1-1 in FIG. show.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the method and apparatus of the present invention for manufacturing printing blanket structures according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged photographic view of the printing surface of a printing blanket structure according to the invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, one method and apparatus of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 20. The method and apparatus of FIG. 2 are used to form the printing blanket structure of the present invention, which structure is designated generally by the reference numeral 21 in FIG. , outer printing surface means 23 for conveying liquid ink or the like for printing or similar purposes. The printing blanket structure of the present invention has a plurality of separate ink well means 24;
This means 24 isolates the outer printing surface means 23 into generally uniform close-separation over virtually the entire printing area, as fully shown in FIG. A substantial number of the well means 24 in the printing surface means 23 have an opening 24' whose linear length across the maximum opening ranges from about 3 microns to about 65 microns.

The printing blanket structure 21 of the present invention may generally be formed by any conventional method and from any polymeric material. namely, natural rubber materials, synthetic rubber materials, plastic materials, etc., and various combinations thereof are well known, and methods and apparatus for manufacturing printing blanket structures are disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. patents, German patents, and EP publications. has been done. For example, U.S. Patent No. 1,778,185, 3.025.18
No. 6, No. 3.795.568, No. 3.881.04S
P3. and No. 4,015,046, German Patent No. 2.660.483 and EPI Publication No. 198
Pages 18-20 of the March/May issue are related to this.

Accordingly, known blanket constructions provide a desired thickness of uncured outer polymer layer means over an uncured backing structure, such outer layer means being designated by the reference numeral 2 in FIG.
2, and the grading material is designated by the reference numeral 25.

One prior art method for making outer layer means, generally of blanket construction, involves mixing an unvulcanized rubber compound with a suitable solvent and then knife-coating the solution in multiple thin coats onto the woven framework. be. After each application of solution,
The solvent is evaporated so that the resulting rubber layer is substantially free of solvent.

Forming the outer layer means of the blanket structure in the above manner
The rubbers used were acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, isobutrene-inbrene elastomer, polysulfide rubber, ethylene-propylene-dientor polymer, and natural rubber.

Soubrene-butadiene rubber, and acrylonitrile-
These include blends of butadiene and poly-bonded nulphide rubber.

However, the outer layer means 22 of the present invention may be made of any polymeric material and any suitable means. A distinctive feature of this invention is the specific materials, whether or not those materials are specifically mentioned in the patent publication.

There are no limitations on the method or device.

A specific example of the method and apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG.
Applied to receive the structure shown, the wear 26 of the structure is substantially continuously wrapped around the tail drum 27 at the stationary cone 28, and the coil or coil shown at 29 in FIG. Formed into a roll. In a typical blanket making operation, the material wound onto rolls 29 consists of a garment 26 approximately 80-85 inches wide and approximately 60 yards long.

The roll 29 is then transported to a station 30 where the blanket structure 21 is unwound from the roll 29.

The ware passes over the double 31 with its outer printing surface means 23 facing upwards so that a conventional powder hopper 32 distributes powder 33 onto the surface 32. In prior known methods and devices, the dust particles 33 consist of a suitable release agent, such as talc, mica, etc.

However, as will be shown later, in the present invention, the powder particles 33 are made of starch or other suitable material of desired size.
, which form the ink nare door means 24 as described below.

After the powder particles 33 have been applied to the soil on the outer surface means 23 of the outer layer means 22 of the web 26, the web 26 passes between rotating brush devices 34 and 35, each of which removes excess powder particles 33.
Brush the opposite surface of web 26 to remove. Brush devices 34 and 35 are each connected to a suitable vacuum box 36.
．． 37, this vacuum box is located within the web 26
removes powder and the like from web 26 while passing table 31. The brushed L-button 26
is wound onto a roll 38 where the wound web 26
is stored in rolls 38 and environmentally aged as in the prior art.

However, [126] can also be inserted directly into the hardening liner without environmental aging after the wear exits the brushes 34,35.

If environmental aging is used, the roll 38 is typically left in place overnight, or about 16 hours, thus stabilizing any solvents, etc. that may be present in the web 26, and leaving the I-bub 26 in the cold IJ 11. Ru.

In any case, Chitsu 1bu 26 is a roll stage'n 39J
Curing liner is unwound from roll 38 at 3 and unwound from supply roll 42 at reel 40.
1iner) 41. Hardened liner 4
1 is wound together with the web 26 so as to be placed facing its powder-carrying outer surface means 23, in which case the reel 40 is wound in a bayonet manner as shown at station 43 in FIG. In this case, the plug-in structure 4 is 1q
The sea urchin hardening liner 41 is a conventional hardening liner, such as a paper liner or a hardened rubber liner.

Even resin films, metal liners, or other printing blanket structures that are cured with tube 26. However, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to any particular hardened liner and may not include a hardened liner.

In any case, heat curing of the plug-in structure 44 is performed in a conventional heated steam curing apparatus, and the time and curing temperature follow conventional methods. In this case it is believed that a certain proportion of the starch powder particles become embedded in the surface means 23 during the hardening process.

Heat set materials 26 and 41 are then unwound from reel 40 at station 45 in FIG. Therefore, the cured web 2G is wound onto a roll 46, cured, and reused.

The cured web 26 is then unwound from the roll 46 at a powder removal station 47 according to the invention, with the web 26 with its powder dusting sides 23 undergoing treatment.

Here, the powder grains 33 embedded in the surface means 23 of the outer layer means 22 are removed by the above-mentioned treatment, and the surface means 23 of the outer layer means 22 are removed.
The ink well means 24 in the ink well are left behind.

For example, when the embedded powder grains 33 are made of denbu Iυ, it has been found that this cannot be removed by normal cleaning.

Therefore, in the present invention, it has been revealed that the embedded starch powder particles can be removed by washing with a sodium hydroxide solution, replacing them with sugar, and dissolving them in the solution.

A sodium hydroxide solution, designated 48 in FIG. 2, is therefore received in a suitable container 49.

One or more brushes 50 rotate within the container 49 and are brought into contact with the surface means 23 of the web 26 .
removing the powder grains 33 embedded in the surface 1 stage 2 along with the well means 24 thereby connecting the surface means.
3 remains. This is because the well means has already been formed in the surface means 23 by embedding the granular material 33 by the process 1g+ method described above.

Since the sodium hydroxide solution 48 is an alkaline solution, the sodium hydroxide is preferably neutralized at the surface 23 after the starch particles are dissolved. Such neutralization may be performed by applying a hydrogen peroxide solution to surface 23.

The hydrogen peroxide solution is therefore indicated by the number 51 in FIG. 2 and is received in a suitable container 52;
It is applied to and interacts with the surface of the web 26 via one or more brushes 53 rotating therein.

As the web 26 passes through the container 2!52 of FIG. 2, the web 26 is wound onto a roll 54. However, before being wound onto roll 54, residual moisture on the opposing sides of garment 26 is removed. For example, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, heated air is blown onto both sides of the ware 26 with a suitable blower 55, although other dryers may be used.

The web 26 from roll 54 is then cut to the desired printing blanket size in the conventional manner and applied to a printing machine (not shown) in a manner well known in the art of printing. This inventive blanket structure 21 performs printing operations with improved ink transport and/or paper release characteristics.

In particular, the means 24 for interrupting the printing surface 23 of the printing blanket structure 21 provide improved ink transport and 7
It is believed that this provides a paper release characteristic, and is substantially the same method and reason as described in the German patent and EPI publication mentioned above, so there is no need to explain it again.

It can thus be seen that the method and apparatus 20 of the present invention can be readily used to form a plurality of individual ink well means 24.

The ink well means interrupts the outer printing surface means 23 of the outer layer means 22 of the printing blanket structure 21, and the ink well means are arranged in a closely spaced manner in a generally uniform pattern over substantially the entire printing area. . A substantial number of well means 24 each have an opening 24' in surface means;
The actual straight line length across the maximum aperture is about 3μ to about 65μ, as shown in FIG.

The depth of each well means depends on the shape and size of the starch particles 33 that are embedded in the surface means of the outer layer means of the ware 26 and then removed, and on the compaction and thickness of the layer of particles 33. Each well means 24 has a different depth within the outer layer means 22 and at least a plurality of the well means 24 are located within the surface means 23.

at least a plurality of the well means 24 have a depth in the surface means 23 that is approximately equal to the maximum length across the aperture 24'; at least a plurality of surface means 2
3 is greater than the maximum length across opening 24'. If necessary, each well means 24 may be opened 24 to a depth in turn.
As can be seen in Figure 3, there are also lengths shorter than, approximately equal to, and longer than the maximum length of ′, as shown in Figure 3.
Depending on the size and shape of the starch embedded in the surface means 23 of the layer means 22 of the ware 26 in the manner described above, the longest length of the openings 24' of the well means 24 may vary depending on the pattern of the well means 24 on the printed blanket structure. Varying over the area, at least a plurality of openings 24' of the well means 24 have a non-uniform profile that is randomly distributed throughout the pattern of well means 24 on the blanket structure 21.

Such an ink well pattern can be controlled by appropriate sieving of the starch particles 33 by predetermined size holes, so that the largest starch powder particles 33 can be used in forming the ink wells 24. For example, in making the printed blanket structure 21 of FIG. 3, conventional corn starch was used and each mesh was screened through a sieve of about 20-22 microns.

Known in printing technology, round shaped ink dots are transferred from the printing surface 23 of the printing blanket structure onto the desired material onto the beaten paper so as to be printed thereby. Inkdora L-S, ``Printers Dot (p
dots) J and have a particular diameter, for example about 125μ or less. For example, the diameter of the smallest conventional printer's dot is about 50 microns.

Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention, the dust hopper 3 of FIG.
The starch powder particles 33 of No. 2 are sieved and the average ink 11 door means 24 formed in the resulting printing blanket structure has a maximum linear length across the opening 24' of about 10 microns. The larger sized ink well means 24 can thereby assume a generally aligned arrangement, the arrangement of which corresponds to each conventional printer dot applied to the printing surface means 23 for printing or other purposes. This is true even if the diameter of the printer's dot is 125μ since the number of aligned ink wells mentioned above will be about 10.

A printing blanket structure 21 having an ink well means 24 with an average volume loss size of about 10 microns as previously described has been shown to have improved ink transport and paper release properties;
This is manufactured in exactly the same manner as the printing blanket structure of the present invention, except that the ink well means 2 of the present invention is
It is superior to those without 4. The ink well means 24 of the present invention may improve the above properties in a manner similar to the improvements described in the EPI report of May 1983.

In any event, it is clear from the present invention that the ink well means q) covering the printing surface of the outer layer means of the printing blanket structure are of optimal average size and that the linear length across the largest portion thereof is approximately It should have a diameter of 3μ to about 65μ.

According to the invention, any material powder particles of desired shape and size and which do not appreciably change their shape or size when placed in the outer layer means material of a blanket structure, or any residual Particles that do not change depending on the solvent and the vulcanization or curing temperature of the polymer material can be used for the above-mentioned scattering body particles 33.

The shape of the powder grains 33 can be any desired shape, ie spherical, cubic, rectangular, bi-trapezoidal, pyramidal, etc., and it can be non-uniform or uniform as required.

There is a wide range of materials that do not melt or dissolve during the processing of the printing blanket structure; such available materials include glass, ceramic or plastic spheres, various crystalline salts, starches, sugars, etc. In fact, it is known that many specific materials are not absorbed into the outer layer means of a blanket structure and are suitable for effective removal therefrom.

Although the method for removing starch particles 33 has been described above as a dissolution step, the dissolving solvent used must not be one that would destroy or degrade the outer layer material of the blanket structure.

Yet another means of removal is the mechanical brush leg. Removal may also be by air jet.

Referring to FIG. 3, printing blanket structure 21 of the present invention
A particular embodiment of the invention was formed from a blend of acrylonitrile-butadiene and polysulfide rubber, and was formed by dusting the printing surface 23 of the outer layer means 22 with corn starch.

With this cone, lυbun is Ortmann-Matsukane (Qr
Commercial name: rOMc by tn+an/MCCa1n)
320 5play Powder J. Such powders should be screened by their suppliers and
Therefore, even the largest powder particle 33 has a maximum diameter of about 20~
It should be screened to remove any agglomerates that may have formed during storage in the 50 bond container.

The printed blanket structure after being vulcanized or heat-cured in the manner described above and as shown in FIG. 2, but prior to removal of powder grains 33, is shown in FIG. 23 and individual particles 33 thereon.

The cured printed blanketware 26 of FIG. 4 was then hand washed with a cloth containing a 5% solution of sodium hydroxide. As a result, the powder particles 33 were dissolved, and the ink well means 24 as shown in Figure 3 was prepared. However, to neutralize any caustic soda solution that may still remain on the printing surface 23, a generally uniform 5% In order to fully demonstrate the characteristics of this pattern, a reference example in Figure 5 is attached. The enlarged photographic magnification of this figure is the same as in Figures 3 and 4, and the printing surface of the printing blanket structure has already been sprinkled with talc, and the hardening liner and peeling purpose are carried out with the same equipment shown in Figure 2. However, the one shown in this figure is a hyperbolic type 6 which has been heat-cured and the printed surface is cleaned by the usual method.

FIG. 6 is the same enlarged photograph as FIGS. 3 to 5, and shows the cleaned surface of the talc-sprayed printed surface in advance. However, in this figure, although a few random parts are recognized as ink well means,
There was no closely spaced, generally uniform pattern of ink over substantially the entire print area, such as was sufficiently provided by the ink wells of the present invention of FIG.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged photograph on the same scale as FIGS. 3-6, showing the printing surface of a prior art printing blanket structure.

In this case, the printing surface is polished in a manner well known in the art to provide a patterned printing surface having various random ink well means therein. However, as can be readily seen from FIG. 7, any ink well means formed by the abrasive method does not include a plurality of individual ink well means, and thus is provided in the ink well means according to the invention of FIG. No such discrete ink wells are found that occlude the print surface over the entire print area.

3.5.6.7 are summarized in FIG. 8 to compare the pattern uniformity of the substantial number of ink well means 24 on the printing surface 23 of a blanket structure according to the invention. The reduced scale was about 20% and the cards were displayed together with regular printers' drums 1-8 superimposed on each of the four corners, but each dot 8 was about 5 in length.
It has a diameter of 0μ. Therefore, the previous figure 3 and this figure 8
As can be seen from the photograph at the top left of the figure, the blanket structure of the present invention is provided with a fairly large number of thick ink well means 24, which are generally arranged in an aligned manner, and which are similar to those of ordinary printers dot ink. If the ink 11 is applied to the surface of an imprint for printing purposes and the diameter of the printer's dots is about 50 microns, the ink 11 means will be placed along the diameter of each dot 9. In Fig. 8, the upper left figure corresponds to Fig. 3, the upper right figure corresponds to the conventional technique shown in Fig. 7, the lower right figure corresponds to the conventional technique shown in Fig. 5, and the lower left figure corresponds to Fig. 6. Each corresponds to a conventionally known printing blanket.

The photograph of FIG. 9 similarly shows printer's dots 9 at the corners of the four photographs shown in FIG. 8, the diameter of the dots being approximately 125 microns. The upper left printing surface of FIG. 9 shows the first runget printed according to the invention in FIG.
The lower right figure shows the conventional printing surface of FIG. 5, and the lower left figure shows the conventional printing blanket of FIG. 6.

As can be seen from the photographs of the present invention in Fig. 3 and the upper left of Fig. 9,
The blanket structure of the present invention provides a substantial number of large ink means 24, generally in an aligned arrangement, so that conventional printer dots are applied to the printing surface means for printing and similar purposes. And if the diameter of the printer's dots is 125 microns, the ink well means will be located along the diameter of each dot 9.

In addition, the invention shows that the powder grains 33 actually constitute protrusion means, which are textured and deformed into a square shape on a separating film, paper or other hardening lie 1. Ru. Such a pattern means that the ink wells of the desired pattern! The image reversal pattern, which is textured as a material, has good release properties for materials such as vulcanized liners with blanket structures, and therefore is easily separated.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial top view of a cured liner according to the present invention, which provides ink well means for the printing blanket structure of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a top view of the surface structure of an embodiment of the printing blanket structure of the present invention that may be formed from the cured liner of FIG. 10.

For example, in FIG. 10, reference is made to the present invention? No. 5 60 is generally the cured liner of the present invention, consisting of a suitable web of cured polymeric material 61 covering the outer surface 62 and shown in the I-image of the pattern for forming the ink well means 24A of FIG. It has an uneven surface. Therefore multiple protrusion means,
Extending outwardly from the 33'lj liner, each individual ink well means 24A is formed in the printing surface 23Δ of the outer layer means 22A of the printing blanket structure 21A of FIG.

In this manner, the protruding means 33' on the web 60 may all be mutually equal and arranged in a uniform pattern on the surface 62. Thus, when the liner means 6θ is wound up with the wear 26 at station 39 in FIG. The printing surface means 238 of the web 26A will be interrupted (e.g., textured rather than continuous). Thus, the cured liner 4 from the vulcanized web 26A at station 45
A separation of 1 would provide a complete printing blanket structure. It does not require a separation operation at station 47, only separation of web 60 from printing blanket web 26A is performed by printing surface means 23 of web 26A.
This only results in the ink well means 24A being formed in the Δ. In this case, the maximum lengths of the apertures 248' formed in the well means 24 are substantially equal, and the apertures 24A' of the eleven door means 24Δ have a form substantially equal to the phase η;
As shown in FIG. 1, they are arranged substantially evenly over the printing blanket width H21A.

Thus, the present invention not only provides an improved printing blanket WI construction, but also an improved printing blanket m
We also provide a yJ manufacturing method for "r':a" and its apparatus.

Although forms and methods according to the invention have been described herein in accordance with the patent statutes, other forms and method steps may be utilized and would be within the scope of the claims.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the printing blanket structure, before curing of the structure and preparation of the ink well means, FIG. Figure 3 is an enlarged photograph of the printed surface of the printed blanket structure according to the present invention; Figure 4 is the printed blanket structure according to the present invention after refining and curing 5 is an enlarged photograph of the ink well formation hyperboloid, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged photograph of the ink well formed after hardening by spraying talc, but before the talc is washed away. The root cause of the expansion η of removing talc from the blanket llt,
Fig. 7 is an enlarged photograph of the printing surface according to another conventional technique when the printing surface is polished, Fig. 8 is a comparison diagram of the four printing blanket structures and a dot diagram of a normal printer, and Fig. 9 is also the same as Fig. 8. FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a cured liner for forming an ink well according to the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a top view of the printing blanket structure obtainable from FIG. 10 according to the present invention. It is. 2 No.. Printing blanket structure, 22. Outer layer means, 23. Outer printing surface means, 24.
... Ink well means, 25 ... Lining material, 26 ... Blanket wear, 32 ...
... Powder (starch) hopper, 33 ... Powder grains, 34.35 ... Rotating brush, 41 ...
・Curing liner, 44... Insert structure (subjects to vulcanization and curing), 47... Powder removal station, 48... Caustic soda bath, 51... Neutralization chemical bath, 55... dryer. H (-2E Human Build-To Nakamura ~ Knee 50 MICROMS 125 MICEONS Procedure Ne City Book December 1986, Judah Day 2, Title of Invention Printing Blanket Structure and Its Manufacturing Method and Apparatus 3, Case of Person Who Makes Amendments) Relationship with Patent applicant name: Deico Corporation 5, date of amendment order: voluntary 6, number of inventions increased by amendment 7, outcome of amendment: specification 2, scope of claims (1) Mainly made of polymeric material A method of manufacturing a printing blanket structure having a printed outer layer and an outer printing surface for conveying liquid ink or the like for printing or similar purposes, comprising: - a plurality of layers into said printing surface; embedding a protruding means and then removing the protruding means from one of the outer printing surfaces to create a plurality of discrete ink wells in the outer printing surface, the ink wells being substantially uniform over substantially the entire printing area; the outer printing surface in a closely spaced pattern, and each of the plurality of ink wells has a frontage in the outer printing surface, the openings spanning from about 3μ to about 65μ across the largest aperture. and removing said protruding means, said protruding means having an effective linear length of. further comprising the step of heat curing the outer layer before removing it from the outer printed surface.
A method of manufacturing a printing blanket structure according to claim 1. (2) A method for producing a printing blanket structure according to claim 2, wherein the protruding means includes a plurality of starch powder particles. (A) The method for manufacturing a printing blanket structure according to claim 1, wherein the powder particles are sieved through a sieve, each having a mesh opening of 20 to 22μ. 5. A method of manufacturing a printing blanket structure according to claim 4, wherein the starch powder particles are removed from the outer printing surface by washing with a solution of sodium hydroxide. l! of the printing blanket structure according to claim 5, further comprising the step of: - neutralizing the sodium hydroxide on the outer printing surface after the starch powder granules have been removed; l construction method. (7) A printing blanket structure having an outer layer formed primarily of polymeric material and an outer printing surface for conveying liquid ink or the like for printing or similar purposes, the blanket structure comprising: a plurality of discrete ink wells blocking said outer printing surface in a closely spaced manner in a substantially uniform pattern over substantially the entire printing area, and a substantial number of ink wells each blocking said outer printing surface; an aperture, the aperture having a substantially linear length of about 3μ to about 65μ across the largest aperture, a plurality of protruding means being embedded within the outer printing surface, and then the outer A printing blanket 111 containing what are said ink wells formed by removing said protruding means from a printing surface! Construction. (8) the substantial number of ink wells are arranged substantially in alignment along the diameter of each of the conventional printer's dot inks to be applied to the outer printing surface;
A printing blanket structure according to claim 7. (g) The diameter of the Iyi printer dot is approximately 12
Claim 8 between 5μ and 50μ
Printed blanket construction as described in section. 0. The printing blanket structure of claim 7, wherein the average length of the largest portion of the openings of the substantial number of ink wells is about 10 microns. Procedure Nefti official book (method) 1. Indication of case 1985 patent application No. 271632
No. 2, Title of the invention: Printing blanket structure and its manufacturing method and apparatus 3, Relationship with the case to be amended Patent applicant name: Deico Corporation 6, Number of inventions increased by amendment 7, Subject of amendment Drawing/i 〆Specification 18, Contents of amendment

Claims (1)

Claims: (1) A method of manufacturing a printing blanket structure having an outer layer formed primarily of a polymeric material and an outer printing surface for conveying liquid ink or the like for printing or similar purposes. - embedding a plurality of protruding means into said printing surface; and then - removing said protruding means from said outer printing surface to create a plurality of discrete ink wells in said outer printing surface. the ink wells block the outer printing surface in a closely spaced manner in a substantially uniform pattern over substantially the entire printing area, and a substantial number of the ink wells each have an opening in the outer printing surface. and the aperture has an effective linear length of about 3 microns to about 65 microns spanning the maximum aperture. (2) further comprising the step of heat curing the outer layer after embedding the protruding means in the printing surface and before removing the protruding means from the outer printing surface. A method of manufacturing a printed blanket structure according to paragraph 1. (3) The method of manufacturing a printing blanket structure according to claim 2, wherein the protruding means includes a plurality of starch powder particles. (2) The method for manufacturing a printing blanket structure according to claim 2, wherein the powder particles are sieved through a sieve, and each mesh opening is 20 to 22 μm. 5. A method of manufacturing a printing blanket structure according to claim 4, wherein the starch powder particles are removed from the outer printing surface by washing with a solution of sodium hydroxide. (6) Manufacturing a printing blanket structure as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of neutralizing the sodium hydroxide on the outer printing surface after the starch powder particles have been removed. Law. (7) A printing blanket structure having an outer layer formed primarily of a polymeric material and an outer printing surface for conveying liquid ink or the like for printing or similar purposes, the blanket structure comprising: a plurality of discrete ink wells blocking said outer printing surface in a substantially uniform pattern over a substantially gold printed area in closely spaced contact with said outer printing surface, and a substantial number of ink wells each blocking said outer printing surface; an aperture, the aperture having a substantially linear length of about 3μ to about 65μ across the largest aperture; - a plurality of protruding means are embedded within said outer printing surface; A printing blanket structure comprising: said ink wells being formed by removing said protruding means from a printing surface. (8) The substantial number of ink wells are arranged substantially in alignment along the diameter of each of the conventional printer's dot inks to be applied to the outer printing surface. Printed blanket construction as described in . (9) The diameter of the printers dot is approximately 125μ
and 50μ. 10. The printing blanket structure of claim 7, wherein the average length of the largest portion of the openings of the substantial number of ink wells is about 10 microns.